The Story of Silverwing
by SnapeFan777
Summary: Silverwing has been a servant of Metal Beak ever since he was a hatchling. How will his life change when he meets Ezylryb?
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of Hagsmire

My name is Silverwing. Since the time that I was a young owlet to now, I have been forced to work for the Pure Ones. They took me right after I hatched. Metal Beak, or the 'High Tyto', forces me to do terrible things to others. I can't help but wonder how long it will last. I hope to escape all of this. I just don't know if I can. If Metal Beak finds out, he'll kill me slowly and painfully. Just then, Metal Beak lands on a branch of an old fir tree.

"Silverwing! Come here!" Metal Beak snarls.

"Yes, High Tyto," I comply.

"Here's what you must do. I set up a Devils Triangle near Tyto Forest. I want you to find the Whiskered Screech there. He's old and goes by the name Ezylryb. Find him and bring him to me!" Metal Beak orders.

"Yes, High Tyto," I reply before I fly off.


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting Ezylryb

I fly away towards Tyto Forest. Down below, I catch sight of a Spruce. I see the old Whiskered Screech owl there as well. I light down on the same branch as him. He sees me coming and watches as I lower myself on the branch. "Who are you?" I ask.

"My name is Ezylryb. I'm the Weather Interpretation Ryb of the Great Tree. What is your name?" He asks.

"I can't tell you," I tell him.

"Why not?" Ezylryb asks.

"It's because I have to take you to them," I answer.

"To who?" Ezylryb asks.

"The Pure Ones. If I don't, they'll kill me. I don't think they know that I may turn traitor. I'd sooner keep it that way for the time being. As long as you comply with their wishes, they won't even see the need to rough you up. Then again, I could use this opportunity to escape," I tell him.

"Then, why don't you?" Ezylryb asks.

"Have you seen their numbers? There are hundreds of them! How can I escape them?" I ask. I sighed. "Just come with me. I'll get you out as soon as possible. I'd sooner not die, if you don't mind," I tell him and rise up into the air. He rises up as well. I lead him to where the High Tyto is waiting.

"Silverwing, you're back! It's about time!" The High Tyto sneers.

"I present to you Ezylryb," I speak in a voice filled with fake confidence.

Metal Beak grabs Ezylryb by his neck and forces Ezylryb towards him. "You will give us information on the flecks!" He shouts.

"Fine!" Ezylryb growls. Ezylryb tells Metal Beak all there is to tell about the flecks, some I know is fake information. Soon, the sun starts to rise. Metal Beak grabs Ezylryb and throws him into a corner of a hollow.

"Silverwing, guard him!" Metal Beak orders me. I obey. I watch the surrounding Pure Ones doze off.

When Metal Beak also drops off to sleep, I turn to Ezylryb. "Ezylryb, now is the time. They're asleep," I whisper. We lift off and fly away from the sleeping Pure Ones.

When we were far enough away, Ezylryb addresses me. "Thank you. What are you going to do now? Will you go back to them?" Ezylryb asks.

I frown. "No. I won't return to them. You're going back to the Great Tree, aren't you? I'll go as well," I tell him. We fly back to where Ezylryb was before I had come. We stand on a branch, talking. We hear something nearby. An Elf Owl is flying just level to us. She calls out to Ezylryb. Two Barn Owls, a Spotted Owl, a Great Gray, and a Burrowing Owl come as well. The male Barn Owl is holding a coal in his beak. He burns a bag that is laying on the forest floor.

Ezylryb and I wait for them. "Who are you?" The male Barn Owl asks.

"I'm Silverwing. It's Silver for short. Who are you?" I ask. The six owls introduce themselves. We are talking about leaving when screeches tear into the night. "The Pure Ones!" I Screech. Twilight fights Metal Beak. Soren and the others fight the Pure One forces. It seems lost when, suddenly, two more owls show up out of nowhere. They hold burning branches. Soren and the others take burning branches as well.

I flinch as I hear the screech of an owl. I turn and my eyes are set upon him.

"Traitor!" Metal Beak screeches.

"No. A traitor is one who was on your side. I was never on your side!" I screech back.

"You are nothing but a fool! You have chosen your own demise!" Metal Beak screeches.

"My demise must be better than following you!" I yell.

"I'll show you what is better!" Metal Beak snarls and rakes my face with his talons. I turn and try to fly away, but he grabs me and slams me on to the ground. My left wing breaks under the impact. I cry out in agony as the pain radiates throughout my left side. Metal Beak leaves me lying on the ground in excruciating pain. I glimpse him as he hides in the treetops.

I am left writhing in pain. Ezylryb flies toward me. "Are you alright?" He asks.

"No," I groan in pain.

"Is that what you said they'd do to you if they found out that you would betray them?" Ezylryb asks.

"Yes. I figured that he'd do more to me, though," I say.

I clench my beak shut in pain. Ezylryb sees my pain. He lifts me up and holds on to me. "You're going to be alright," Ezylryb says.

I start to whimper in pain. It's just too great a suffering. When I start to whimper and squirm in pain, Ezylryb tries to comfort me. I clench my eyes shut tight, but I can't stop the tears from rolling out of my eyes.

Metal Beak hovers in the treetop. Then, he launches himself towards us. Soren sees what Metal Beak is going to do. Soren charges Metal Beak with a burning branch. The fighting goes back and forth. Soren tears Metal Beaks mask off. He seems surprised by something. That surprise lasts for a minute. Soren continues to fight Metal Beak. Soren rises himself beneath Metal Beak and hits the remaining piece of his mask with the fiery branch. Metal Beak almost goes yeep. Then, at the last second, Metal Beak recovers and launches himself at Soren. Soren isn't prepared for the oncoming attack. Metal Beak's battle claws slash down Soren's left wing. The wing is almost severed from his body. Soren screeches in agony. He falls a few feet to the ground. Metal Beak snarls in rage and flies off with the remaining Pure Ones.

After Metal Beak's departure, Twilight and Ruby made vine hammocks to carry Soren and me in. Ezylryb lifts me up. I gasp in pain as I am lowered into the hammock. Twilight and Ruby lift Soren's hammock off of the ground. Ezylryb and Otulissa carry my hammock. They fly me with them to Ga'hoole.

As soon as we get there, Ruby and Twilight carry Soren to the infirmary. Ezylryb and Otulissa bring me there as well. The owl there treats my wing. She gives me something to help ease the pain. I fall asleep shortly thereafter.


	3. Chapter 3: At the Great Tree

A few days after my arrival, I am still in the infirmary. My wing will take a while to heal. That means that I won't be able to fly for awhile. The pain medication that Matron gave me makes me tired all of the time. "Good evening, Silverwing," A voice greets me from the entrance.

I look over to see Ezylryb standing there. "Hello, Ezylryb," I return the greeting.

"How are you feeling?" Ezylryb asks.

"I'm fine. The medication makes me tired, though," I answer.

"Hello." We both turn to see a blind green snake slither in.

"Hello, Octavia," Ezylryb greets the snake.

"How is everything here?" Octavia asks.

"Everything's fine. Any luck finding a hollow for Silver?" Ezylryb asks.

"No. There are no empty hollows," Octavia answers.

"Then, Silver, would you like to stay in my hollow?" Ezylryb asks.

"Sure," I answer. We walk away toward his hollow.

When we get there, Ezylryb addresses me. "I'd like you to tell me some things about the Pure Ones," He requests.

I open my beak a little in surprise. "I… I can't. I'll tell you only one thing. They're horrible creatures. They will try to kill me. They won't stop with just me. They won't stop until we're all dead," I gasp as soon as I am able to speak.

"You're shaking," Ezylryb tells me.

"I… I can't help it. I shake when I'm afraid," I mumble. I'm embarrassed at my admitting to being afraid.

Ezylryb senses that. "Silver, everyone is afraid sometimes. It's nothing to be ashamed of," Ezylryb says.

I look up at him. "That can't be right. Only the weak show fear," I reply.

"Did Metal Beak tell you that?" Ezylryb asks.

"Uhhh… yeah," I confess.

"Everything Metal Beak told you is a lie," Ezylryb continues.

"Yeah, you've got a point," I agree.

"Then, why did you say that the weak show fear?" Ezylryb asks.

"You forget. I was raised around them. It's not exactly easy to ignore their ideals. I can't escape the shadows cast by them," I tell him.

"Wait. You were raised around them?" Ezylryb asks.

"I was captured within minutes after I hatched. I don't know if I have any kin. Most likely I don't. Even if I do, I'll never find them," I reply.

"It's getting late. We should get to sleep," Ezylryb says after looking out of the hollow.

"I had a feeling that Silver would be staying here with us, so I had Matron make him a nest," Octavia says. She slithers into the bed chamber and shows me my nest.

I turn to her. "Thank you, Octavia," I bow my head slightly in gratitude.

"You're welcome, Silver," Octavia replies as she slithers out of the bed chamber.

Ezylryb comes in. "We should both get some rest," He tells me as he settles down inside his own nest. I nod my head and get comfortable in my nest. I close my eyes. It isn't long before I fall asleep. As I sleep, I dream:

_I see Tyto Forest. Metal Beak is perched on one of the branches. "Bring him to me!" he shouts. I am brought forward. He jeers at me. He tells me to look. I do. I see the guardians surrounded by Pure Ones. The Pure Ones kill the guardians. Tears fall down my face. Metal Beak turns to me. "Now, you see what will happen because of your treachery!" He yells before he advances on me. I can't move. He raises his talons and tears into me. Blood splatters the tree on which I am perched…_

"Wake up, Silver! Wake up!" I hear someone calling. My eyes snap open and I gasp for breath. I looked around. Ezylryb stands there with a worried look on his face.

"What happened?" I ask.

"It looked like you were having a horrible daymare," Ezylryb says.

"You could say that again," I look down as I say this.

"What was it about?" Ezylryb ask.

"What do you think?" I counter his question with another question.

"The Pure Ones?" Ezylryb asks.

"Yes. I dreamt that they killed all of the guardians as well as myself as punishment for my treachery," I tell him. I wilf at the thought of it.

"Well, that won't happen, now will it?" Ezylryb tries to reassure me.

"You can't be certain," I mumble. I pause. "Where's Octavia," I ask.

"When you were still in your daymare, she slithered off to fetch some tea and milkberry buns," Ezylryb explains.

Just then, Octavia comes in with the tea things on her back. "I see you're awake. I hope that tea will calm you down. What is tea without milkberry buns to go with it?" She tells me. We start drinking the tea and eating buns in the main portion of the hollow. When I gulp down the last morsel, I turn my head toward the entrance. My eyes widen in shock as a strange feeling overwhelms me.

"Silver, what's wrong?" Ezylryb asks.

"Something is going to happen. Don't ask me what, because even I don't know," I answer.

An enormous yawn issues from my beak. "Silver, you're exhausted. Why don't we both get some more sleep," Ezylryb suggests.

"Okay," I agree. We make our way to our nests and fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Chaw Practices

The next day, Ezylryb checks my left wing. "Your wing is healed. I want you to try flying," Ezylryb tells me. I flap my wings and fly across the hollow to Ezylryb's writing desk.

Once there, I turn back to Ezylryb. "My wing is a bit stiff. Other than that, it's alright," I explain.

"Good. This means that you're ready to train to be a guardian," Ezylryb says.

"Alright," I agree.

"I'll let Boron and Barran know," Ezylryb tells me as he flies out of the hollow.

I turn to Octavia. "What now? I mean, I still don't understand everything that goes on here," I say, my voice tinged with confusion.

"You'll start out with chawlet practices. That means you will have mini classes under certain chaw instructors," Octavia explains.

Ten minutes later, Ezylryb flies back in. "It's arranged, Silver. You'll start chawlet practice in an hour," Ezylryb informs me.

An hour later, I am being led in chawlet practice under Strix Struma's lead. It is fairly simple. I get board for that very reason. I also have chawlet practice with Dewlap right after. I go through the same types of chawlet practices for a few weeks. At the end of the third week, news of chaw tapping comes to me by word of Ezylryb. That next night will be my last night of chawlet practice. Some of the chaws I wouldn't mind having. The only chaw I want to be put in is Ezylryb's weather interpretation chaw. I hope I don't get the colliering chaw, though. I have always been afraid of fire. I can't bear the mere thought of flying into fire. That night, after chawlet practice, I listen to Madame Plonk sing the good light song. After she finishes singing, I fly to my nest and look in my bedding. I see both a dried caterpillar for weather interpretation and a coal for colliering. "So, Silver, are you happy with the chaws you got?" Ezylryb asks.

"I don't mind weather interpretation, but must I have colliering too? I've always kept my distance when it comes to fire. There's no way in hagsmire that I'm going to fly in it! Pardon the pun," I tell him.

"Silver, there's no need to be afraid. You won't be at any forest fire alone, especially not the first. Elvan, Bubo, and I will be there as well," Ezylryb explains.

"You don't get it. When I found out about me being in the colliering chaw, I remembered something. A forest fire broke out just as I was hatching. The smoke was thick and I couldn't breath. I didn't know what was happening. I was afraid. Within moments after I hatched, I was taken by the Pure Ones. I thought they saved me. It turns out that I was thrown into another Hagsmire," I continue.

"Silver, that's in the past. It will be alright," Ezylryb replies.

"Alright," I agree to it. I can't let go of my fear as of yet, though. The sun starts to rise, so I go into my nest and fall asleep.

The next night, I wake up to the sound of wind howling outside. I walk out of the sleeping chamber. I shiver. "It's freezing!" I exclaim.

"Then you won't like what I'm about to say. You're having your first chaw practice tonight," Ezylryb explains.

"In this? You have got to be yoicks!" I exclaim.

"Well, lets get to the dining hollow. Weather chaw eats raw meat only with the fur still on," Ezylryb continues.

"Now _that _I can live with," I reply as I follow him. We stand at Octavia's table to dine. When we finish the last bit of vole, Ezylryb leads us to the takeoff branch. He leads us straight into the gale force winds. I fly my position right behind Ezylryb. He has us fly upside down to punch the wind, as he says. We start flying straight again. I get a strange feeling in my gizzard. I look around. No one else seems to feel it. I decide to ignore it for now. I'll tell Ezylryb later.

After chaw practice and Break light, I decide to talk to Ezylryb. I find him reading in the hollow. "Ezylryb," I address him.

He looks up. "Yes, Silver," Ezylryb addresses me back.

"During chaw practice, I felt something strange and familiar. It felt as if we were being watched," I explain.

"Are you sure?" Ezylryb asks.

"I felt it many times before. Of course I'm sure!" I answer.

"It could be nothing. We'll just need to keep our eyes and ear slits open," Ezylryb advises. I nod my head in agreement and head off to sleep.

I wake up to someone shaking me. "Is it nighttime already?" I ask in a voice drenched with exhaustion.

"No, but there's a forest fire in Silverveil. I'm having the chaw assemble early to see how forest fires change things so far away," Ezylryb explains. I fly up to the top of the tree. While there, Ezylryb explains everything about the forest fire's relation to cloud formations to the newer chaw members. Then, we are dismissed to take a short nap.

Two hours later, we are perched on a cliff away from the fire. Ezylryb goes out to find the safest point of access to the forest fire. When he comes back, we fly to the point he found. I had just landed on the waiting spot. Ezylryb is addressing us, but this time I'm not listening. My eyes are set on the flames. Shapes are revealing themselves in the fire. I see Metal Beak leading the Pure Ones against the Great Tree. Then, the visions shift. I see an owl. She is speaking to me in words that seem very familiar. Suddenly, I become aware of Ezylryb's voice next to me. "Silver!" Ezylryb shakes me.

I shake my head and turn to Ezylryb. "The Pure Ones are coming. They're going to attack the Great Tree!" I exclaim.

"How do you know?" Ezylryb asks.

"I saw it in the flames," I answer.

"You have firesight," Ezylryb tells me. He seems almost as surprised as I am.

"I also saw a female owl. She spoke words to me. Her words seemed to be of a different language," I continue. I left out the fact that her words were known to me.

Ezylryb looks surprised. "What language do you think it was?" Ezylryb asks.

"It sounded like Krakish," I answer. I am next to fly into the fire. Ezylryb flies above the flames to watch for any trouble. I catch an airborne coal in my beak. After the others take their turn, we fly back to the Great Tree.

Over the next few days, I grow to be overly anxious. I feel that I am close to finding out something new. The female owl seemed familiar. My gizzard lurched with the feeling of longing. I hadn't known that the feeling existed. One evening, Ezylryb notices my anxiety. "You seem nervous lately. What's wrong, Silver?" Ezylryb asks.

"The female owl in my vision. She seems familiar. When I think of her, I feel a longing that I didn't know existed," I answer.

"What kind of owl was she?" Ezylryb asks.

"She was a Whiskered Screech," I answer.

"Do you think it's possible that she could've been your mother?" Ezylryb asks.

"Now that you mention it, yes. I'll write the words that she spoke to me," I tell him. I fly over to Ezylryb's writing desk and begin to write. When I finish writing, I read the words aloud. "Frahmm, frihl tuoy. Misnacht, bity nachtglaux. Misnacht glauc. Vuoyven nynik misnacht glauc. Vuoyven misnacht erraghh. I know it is a warning from the owl. She warns me of evil that burns like fire. She says that the owls are against Glaux. They understand only rage," I tell him.

"The precise translation is 'flames, it burns you. Understand, it will be against Glaux. Understand life. They never understand life. They understand rage.' How did you know what it meant? Why do you think she told you that? Why would she have spoken in Krakish?" Ezylryb asks.

"I felt the meaning of those words. Other than that, I don't know. All I want are some answers," I tell him.

"You wonder about her, don't you? You want to know whether or not she's still alive. After all, your vision wasn't a scroom," Ezylryb states.

"I never knew her or my da for that matter! I don't even know what they look like! How am I supposed to find them?" I ask. My voice broke and tears streamed down my face. I turn my head away so that he wouldn't see my tears. That did no good, though. I felt Ezylryb put his wing around me and pull me into an embrace. Only then did I start to cry. I sob loudly for the grief that I feel. I just can't hold my emotions back anymore. When I quiet down, I pull myself away from Ezylryb. I'm embarrassed, so I look away from him.

"There's no reason to feel embarrassed, Silver. Do you think that even I have never shed a tear in my life? A long time ago, my mate, Lil, was killed in battle," Ezylryb tells me.

I look at him. "You're Lyze of Kiel?" I ask in surprise.

"How did you know?" Ezylryb answers my question with another question.

"Nyra, Metal Beak's mate, mentioned that. She was hatched in the Northern Kingdoms and knows everything when it comes to wars, past and present," I answer.

"Well, I don't want you telling anyone," Ezylryb tells me.

"Oh, don't worry. Discreet is my middle name," I comply. I pause. "Maybe we should head over to the library. Anything to get my mind off of those strange words," I suggest.

"Good idea," Ezylryb agrees.


End file.
